The Minister for Foreign Affairs has concluded a new agreement with the US government that will enable Irish citizens to work and travel in the US.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Washington by Micheál Martin and the US Deputy Secretary of State, John Negroponte.
The Working Holiday Agreement will enable a minimum of 20,000 Irish citizens who are in, or have recently completed, post-secondary education to work and travel in the US for up to 12 months.
Mr Martin said: 'This represents one of the most significant developments in our visa arrangements with the US in almost two decades.'
Under the terms of the deal, up to 5,000 US citizens will also be able to work and travel in Ireland on the same basis.
In addition to those new arrangements, the existing summer J1 programme will continue to exist as a separate scheme.
Minister Martin emphasised that this initiative is separate to the Government's ongoing campaign to find a solution to the problem of the undocumented.
He said: 'Finding a solution for our undocumented remains a key priority for this Government.'
